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Hattaway — who also is an attorney — at Wednesday's Port Authority meeting voted against approving Bistline's monthly bill for professional services, after she questioned one item on the bill. That was Bistline's $350 charge for attending a May 6 shipboard ceremony involving the debut at Port Canaveral of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Harmony of the Seas.

Bistline charged the port for two hours of work, at $175 an hour, for attending the event. The $350 was part of Bistline's $7,262.50 bill for his 41.5 hours of work during May for the Canaveral Port Authority.

Bistline still will get paid for his work, as his invoice was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Hattaway in the minority. But it is unusual for a port commissioner to vote against approving the port's routine monthly financial reports that include the attorney bills.

"As an attorney, I've attended a lot of social events at the invitation of my clients, but never billed them for it," Hattaway said. "And I can't look taxpayers in the eye and say that that's an appropriate use of a public dollar" for Bistline to be paid for attending that event.

(While the port is a public entity, it actually does not collect tax money from local residents. Bistline's bills are paid by port revenue from its operations.)

Hattaway said she is happy to include Bistline "in all of our goings-on, in respect to his time at the port, and want to include him as a courtesy. But I'm not sure that it's appropriate to pay him" for time spent at events "if he's not here rendering legal services" in relation to his time at the events.

Port Authority Commissioner Wayne Justice said Hattaway raised an appropriate question, and indicated that there may be a need for a standard to be set on attorney billing practices.

Loyd said the past protocol has been that the Port Authority chairman sets the tone for what events Bistline is invited to attend, where he spends his time and what his billable hours would be.

"I'm not sure we're in a position right now to debate two hours" on Bistline's bill, Loyd said. "Without a contract" for Bistline, "things go on as they were. So Harold does attend. He does things that we do invite him to. He has represented us like that in the past."

Loyd and Hattaway have had another recent history of disagreement involving the Port Authority attorney position.

Loyd in May sought to formalize the business relationship the port has with its attorney through a formal contract, but the other port commisioners would not move forward with the contract proposal.

Loyd's proposal would have provided Bistline a retainer of $12,000 a month, in addition to a $225-an-hour legal fee for "special projects" and other matters outside the scope of the retainer.

Hattaway was particularly vocal in her opposition to that contract, saying it was a sweetheart deal for Bistline.

Hattaway also said the Port Authority attorney contract should go out for bid, rather than automatically giving it to Bistline, who has done the legal work for more than 30 years.

On Wednesday, Hattaway asked that, in the future, the Port Authority's secretary/treasurer — currently Bob Harvey — review Bistline's bills before they come before the Canaveral Port Authority for approval.

Harvey said he would be happy to examine Bistline's billings every month, if that's what fellow commissioners want.